How to PottyTrain Your Child

You know it's time to transition from diapers to potty training when your child knows that he or she is wet, and is interested in potty training.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Disposable pull on/off pants
• underpants
• plastic pants
• small candy or treats
• timer

1. In the beginning it is easier to use pull-up disposable pants until your child has achieved some success with going potty in the toilet. Start by explaining to your child that he/she is growing into a big girl/boy, and big girl/boys use the toilet. Show them the toilet(or potty chair), and tell them whenever they need to go potty, to go in the toilet.

2. It is helpful in the beginning to encourage your child to use the potty about 15 minutes after they eat/drink. Take them into the potty, help them pull down the pull-ups and get on the potty. If they go, praise them and give them a small treat/candy. If they don't go, have them stay there for a few minutes, then let them get off the potty, but tell the child to come back to the potty if they need to go. Set a timer for 30 minutes, and take the child to the potty again. Repeat this process for a few days until the child has been able to go to the bathroom in the potty fairly consistently. At bed time and nap time (as well as trips out away from the house)continue to use diapers.

3. Once your child has the idea of how to use the potty, then switch to regular underwear (with plastic pants over them). Pull-up disposable pants are good for preventing accidents, but they don't give the child a chance to feel "yucky" and "wet" like with real underwear. Often children are content to keep going to the bathroom in the pull-ups because it doesn't feel bad.

4. As your child progresses with the potty-training, you can use underwear on a regular basis, and just use pull-ups at night time and nap time. After a few months of consistently staying dry during the day, you can try using regular underpants at night as well. I would strongly advise using a plastic sheet on the bed until the child is able to stay totally dry at night as well.

Tips & Warnings

• If your child does not seem interested, or is unable to stay dry for more than 30 minutes (in other words the child is dry, and then when you take them again 30 minutes later they are wet, and this happens consistently), then take a break for a few months and try again later.
• Once your child is very consistently staying dry and using the toilet, you can start to wean them off the treats.

[vyeshi]

on 8/19/2009 Thanks for the ideas. My little guy is a little over 2 and loves to 'copy' his dad going pee. I don't think he quite understands the connection..he just likes the pose!
Gotta get serious soon!!!

[StoneBridgeFarm]

on 2/20/2009 My 3 yr. old...#4/4..is so not wanting to get completely potty trained. Ugh! But, thanks for the great article! OH, and Congrats for getting ehower of the day!

[acole]

on 7/22/2008 Good ideas.